Cafe Mode - Endell Street

50% off
at Cafe Mode - Endell Street

Cafe Mode, is a small unpretentious restaurant that makes great pizza, pasta and gourmet burgers, gourmet salads and fish.

The decor is a simple mix of dark wood and apricot walls and large mirrors, and the warm atmosphere, reasonable prices and delightfully friendly service have made this a hit, a welcome relief from the madness around Covent Garden.

Cafe Mode does a great range of staples served by friendly and capable staff, served in a neighbourhood style restaurant, which also has terrace seating outside.

Important Information

Please note: the tastecard discount is available on the a la carte menu only, this excludes the Breakfast Menu. Please be aware that this offer is not available at any other tastecard restaurants.

Important note for reviewers

Based upon feedback from our members we have decided to implement a review facility on the tastecard website. This is a great opportunity for you to share your experiences, both good and bad, with other members. Please familiarise yourselves with the below rules for placing reviews:

Whilst we will not modify your review, we will monitor all reviews. As tastecard is a co-operative with our restaurants, if a restaurant objects to a review we will remove it. Whilst this gives the restaurants the opportunity to remove any negative reviews, we will make it very clear to them that a balance of reviews will be relied upon and trusted more by our members and likely lead to more bookings for the restaurants. It is a fine balancing act between publishing as many reviews as possible and losing popular restaurants as a result of negative reviews.

Reviews must be based on the diner’s experience, not second-hand information or hearsay

Reviews written by ownership or management posing as guests will not be accepted. Current or past employees or anyone associated or related to employees of an establishment listed on our site are not allowed to post reviews

Please refrain from using personally insulting language, attempting a smear campaign or posting content that is irrelevant and unhelpful to other members

Questions or comments directed to or about tastecard staff or other tastecard members will not be posted

Commercial e-mail addresses and contact information are not allowed in reviews, nor is promotional material of any kind

Important note for restaurateurs

Based upon feedback from our members we have decided to implement a review facility on the tastecard website. This is a great opportunity for members to share their experiences, both good and bad, with other members. We believe that this is also a fantastic opportunity for our restaurants to assess feedback, and if necessary make improvements and take feedback on-board.
Previously, if members wished to review a restaurant they were likely to visit another website to do so. This may have meant that the reviews were less accessible to yourselves, as restaurateurs, and thus you would have been less likely to act upon the review, be it good or bad. By offering the review service on our site we believe that restaurants will benefit from having feedback from our members in one place.

If you object to a review on our site, we will remove it. However, our research has indicated that members are far more likely to visit a restaurant if there are a number of balanced reviews than if all reviews are positive. Please bear this in mind when reading the reviews; if a restaurant only has great reviews then our members are far less likely to trust the reviews and thus are likely to dine elsewhere.

"Came here last night with ten friends for a pre-wedding send off (loathe to say 'hen..."Read more

"Went there with my Mum and Aunt when they cam to visit. Really impressed and great food. Nice..."Read more

"Good simple food, great if you're with a family, perfect location for a night out and even..."Read more

"Good, simple food, well cooked and in a nice atmosphere. Using the taste card meant that 4 of us..."Read more

"Went to Cafe Mode with a friend, mainly on the strength of the earlier reviews. Exactly as..."Read more

Jay said:"Hidden Gem

Fantastic service and brilliant food.
One of the best pizzas, beautiful dough and cooked to perfection. A wonderfully flavoured pasta and a lovely selection of cheeses for the cheese board.
Truly a hidden gem and will be coming back for the service and the food.
"

Placed near Covent garden but unfortunately in a dirty and awful street, a very bad atmosphere and a poor service. The food was edible but nothing better than a junk food shop as a McDonald's. To sum it up, just once in life.
"

Food was average for price and because we used our taste card we were treated as lower category customers. Served starters with our mains and didn't even asked for drinks, but charged us for table water.
Bit disappointed because I remember to visit this place on my own before and enjoyed both service and food.
"

" Visited this restaurant on Saturday at around 20:30 and will definitely not return. Our main meal was squeezed on to our table before I was even half way through my starter. My sea bass was over done and the roasted seasonal vegetables were mainly peppers soaked in oil, my friend's pizza was good though. I was glad that I had the 50% taste discount as I would not have wanted to pay full price for the food I got. We were seated near the front of the restaurant and unfortunately there were quite a lot of loud, drunk groups eating before they went downstairs to the comedy. They were so loud that we had to shout to have a conversation. Waited ages to get the dessert menu as I was still hungry after leaving most of my main, which we gave up on after waiting 20 minutes and I just went to the till to ask for the bill as the waiter seemed to be dealing with every other table apart from ours. The manager was lovely though and very friendly.
"

Went pre-theatre, quick turnaround with good food. Service was ok but had to keep asking for drinks though we got them eventually. When we paid they stood at the table counting the money which was a bit rude (they should have taken it away and brought back our change). Worth a visit on tastecard.
"

Burnt pizza and a classic burger and chips which was bought for a child covered in a whole tub of cracked black peppercorns. No mention of the word spicy on the menu!
Slow service to clear up the plates. Clearly understaffed.
Will not be returning here again.
"

Booked for a family outing and chance to see each other in between Christmas and the New Year, great choice of venue. Great atmosphere for the 12 of us, we were well looked after and the food was a real surprise, plenty of choice for everyone and great food served up washed down with plenty of wine. Would recommend booking as it could be a squeeze otherwise, but a lively venue with great food, will return.
"

" What a mad day, very busy Covent Garden this Italian is warm, cosy, small and romantic. We were family of 4, and able to use our Taste card on a Saturday, great deal! It will persuade us to get back into London on a Saturday, to this restaurant. Staff friendly, food lovely we had the Salmon cooked perfectly, came with a salad which was exactly what I wanted with a pre Christmas diet! And the family had pizzas which were delicious. If you want to be away from the bustle this is your perfect little place.!
"

5 of us went for a birthday meal yesterday evening, I had read the bad reviews but went anyway. Well I don't know what their problem was! Greeted like we were old friends, given a perfect table, no hassle from the staff just laughter and kindness and lots of time to chat and choose. We all had different starters and mains on the whole and all were lovely. The wine was great, a Rioja and extremely well priced so we had a second! When the bill came we were all pleasantly surprised. All the facilities were clean and good and we genuinely could find nothing to complain about, only to praise. What a find. Ignore the bad reviews, honestly the people who left them must be mad. Or went to the wrong place?
"

After being shown to our seats, we had to wait to get the attention of a waiter to ask for a menu. We then had to wait again to get their attention to order our food as it felt like they had forgotten we were there! After ordering our food the waiter brought out bottle of wine, plonked it on the table and walked off! When our starters arrived we were short of cutlery and had to make an effort to try get the waiters attention! The waitress took away some starters while others were still eating and brought all the mains before some of us had even finished our starters! And the food was just plonked down even those who were still eating their starters had their mains plonked down in front of them!
The risotto was terrible! Tasted like it had just been mixed with a tin of tomatoes! Could not eat it! The pasta was some over done and some undercooked all in the one dish! The lasagna had no taste! The waiters and waitresses just seemed rude!

Been here several times over the last few years and it's always a pleasure.
Never been an issue with the food (not sure what some people are after)
Never had a problem using the taste card (unlike some places that seem to want to be difficult)
Always a very relaxed and welcoming set of staff that seem to genuinely care that you've had a good experience at their restaurant.

Last visit I had the steak which when presented looked very nice, not the largest but perfectly adequate and no smaller than you might get elsewhere. So certainly no complaints from me. Before I'd started The head guy (I presume) came over and said he wasn't happy with the size of the steak and had instructed the kitchen to prepare another. This was by no means at all necessary but the second steak duly arrived leaving me full and very happy !

Had lunch here with a friend Tuesday and spent nearly 3 hours drinking and eating. Service was excellent and food was very good, no complaints. We were not hurried at all and to get 50% off drinks as well was a big bonus as we had a Taste Card!
would recommend a visit!
"

We went to this restaurant for a pre-theatre dinner. The food was varied. Pasta was good, but the risotto was not great. All the food was quite pricey for what it was, but no more than other places we have been to in covent garden. Good location for pre-theatre - close enough, but not bustling and overcrowded.
The service was excellent - friendly staff who were keen to help and fairly quick. When I asked for the bill and forgot to mention tastecard, they were really quick and reasonable about refunding me the money.
"

" Thank God for tastecard, saved us 50% on what was the worst meal we have ever had. All reviews rave about the pizza and burgers, no pepperoni for the " very popular" spicy pepperoni pizza, also couldn't do a propper 4seasons due to lack of ingredients, had better burgers at Wimpy, lasagne was grim, tasteless and sloppy with grey meat, mushroom rissotto was like a ding uncle bens rice. No vinegar for chips with burger, no ice, no pepperoni, no house wine and no loo roll in toilets! Poor does not even nearly cover it.
We hate reviews like this because it just looks like 1 person has had a bad meal, 4 of us dined and all had different meals, we are not usually picky or fussy but when you need to go to tesco for a meal deal for something 1/2 decent then something is not right. We were really quite excited about eating here based on previous reviews, money we wish we had spent elsewhere.
"

" We were very pleasantly surprised with the friendliness of the staff and the quality/speed of service. I would strongly recommend this cafe to anyone looking for a personal touch in service and great quality food - as put by my 12 year old daughter who can't wait to go there again.
"

I have been coming to Café Mode for about seven years and have nothing but good things to say about this lovely restaurant. During this time I have tried many dishes and have never been disappointed. The food is always delicious and the service is fast. Café Mode has such a varied menu that there really is something for everyone here. What is more, the portions are generous! I have brought many friends here and they have all been very impressed and have said they would spread the word!

One of the best things about Café Mode is the extremely friendly service. I am always greeted so warmly and made to feel very much at home. This makes it such a pleasure to keep coming back again and again to Café Mode. Nothing is too much trouble for the manager, his assistant and the staff. The people, the music and the décor give this restaurant a very happy atmosphere.

Thank you, Café Mode, for some very enjoyable times. I am already looking forward very much to my next visit!
"

Went here expecting a decent quick meal, but ended up staying for 3 hours because the food was so good and it felt like you're in a lovely restaurant in Rome.

The owner/manager was very attentive and kind, offering to do everything to make our time perfect. The other waitress was not up to this standard however.

Drinks prices are good, and the food was exceptional. The sea bass was perfectly cooked with a delicious crispy skin and the steak cooked to perfection. The sides are maybe overpriced for how they're presented and the amount.

Firstly all this uproar about the door being open is really overrated... The restaurant is fine and on request they close it happily and leave it closed. The house wine is both cheap and very very drinkable, happily worked through 2 bottles between a party of 3. Tastecard very easy to use and whilst service was a little slow the food quality was good especially in a very expensive area to eat. recommend to anyone going for a pre-theatre meal..
"

Firstly, they leave the front door of the restaurant open so very cold. When we moved table it was only a little better. Overview says discount is on a la carte which it is not, had to order from a pre theatre menu which we only wanted 2 courses of and we're still charged full. Calamari was horrendous, over cooked calamari and undercooked batter. I've never experienced stringy calamari before either and my boyfriend almost choked on it. Bland is a compliment. Chicken was cold and bland, £3.50 for 4 small baby potatoes. Seafood pasta came with one prawn, gritty mussels which looked days old and was filled with prawn tail ends which again my boyfriend almost choked on. Service is added onto the original bill and not amended when the discounted bill is presented so without realising we paid 25% service which was without a doubt undeserved. Feeling Sick as I write this and would discourage anyone from trying this restaurant.
"

A cold venue - the door wouldn't close properly, on a freezing lunchtime. The food was adequate - delicious soup. Somewhat dry & uninspiring burger. £1.50 for 4 small pieces of bread & dipping oil. It wasn't 50% off the whole bill - and I still can't work out how it was calculated. Service charged on the full bill & not on the final figure, which is unusual. Nice waiter, but quite a bit of waiting given the place was almost empty. Overall, disappointing - I won't be dashing back, anytime soon.
"

The tastecard was very easy to use. The food was cooked very well and very delicious. My only issue with the restaurant is apart from the owner who was attentive, the waitress was appalling. Had to wait a long time for the waitress to come to take the payment.
"

had a great new years here fun atmosphere , good food and after party at comedy club in drury lane for free.
apparently you can get free entry to the top secret comedy club with any of their set menus... FAB !!
"

Used tastecard to find it was only on the pre theater menu at £32 per person which made an average meal still expensive! 5 starters, 5 mains, 2 bottles of wine and an orange juice was over £120 when the automatic 12.5% tip was applied
"

We were 20 minutes late for our booking, but they managed to accommodate us quite quickly which was good.
We said to the waiter we were in a hurry as we were going to see a show, and they accommodated for this as well, and brought our food out exceptionally quickly. Service was friendly, but at the same time a little slap-dash as it was quite busy. Waiter had no problem with the using of the tastecard, and we got a good deal on our meal. He offered us an alternative menu with 50% off that one as well with a free drink so had a good choice of food. Waiter even brought us the bill without as having to ask for it - he remembered we were in a hurry. The place didn't serve ice cream for desert, however waiter recommended a place around the corner, which we took him up on - very good! Generally a good place to go if you want a quick meal before doing something else.
"

I would not recommend this place. Very poor staff who is blunt and lacks any customer care service qualities. Food was not worth the price on the menu they only offer with the taste card. Our waitress was very snappy and unhelpful. Trying charge an extra £9 for a service charge ( tip ) without our consent. All together I could not wait to get out of there!
"

Don't bother! The place was empty for a reason. The food was appalling. My fish although tasted ok smelt off and had no flavour at all. When I asked what the seasonal veges were I was told I would find out when it came out. Pasta was over ccooked with hug chunks of unchopped onion. NOT impressed at all. They kept tying to force a 2 course for £16 menu on us which would have been more expensive than using tastecard . Then again when we paid made up the bill using this method even though we had all ordered alacarte. Had to get the bill changed. Then the bill was brought back and although the tastecard discount was present on the bill they hadn't subtracted it from the total and got all shirty when we pointed it out. We didn't pay the service charge as it wasn't worth it! I definitely wont be going back!
"

saw a couple of poor reviews so was slightly wary.. however was lovely fresh tasty foo nice friendly place... Also it transpires that there are 2 cafe modes one on drury lane and this one on endell street on closer inspection the poor reviews mention war horse so i am guessing these refer to the restaurant on drury lane and not this one on endell street.
i can thoroughly recommend the endell street one
"

We took our family here after watching Warhorse. Not sure if a coincidence but saw a man arriving with a delivery of the right number pizza delivery boxes to meet our meal, just before our meal arrived at the table. this included the starters along with the mains!!- useful! Also the burger and chips my husband ordered was aptly flattened- as if per chance it had been squashed into a takeaway box.
However, these were minor issues.
The real problem came halfway through eating the burger-THE ROLL WAS MOULDY and there was also a slimy strange coloured lump inside the burger-YEUCHH!
This turned us all off of our food and so we left, halfway through.
Needless to say we complained and we refused to pay anything as it was so appalling. The staff were ok-ish but not particularly bothered.
WILL NEVER GO BACK !!! AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
I do have a photo of the offending article which I wish I could post but it is available on TripAdvisor.
"

Food was poor, pizza was OK. Saw staff member creating bloody Mary for customer, used straw dipped in drink to taste, then added some ingredients and then dipped same straw in drunk after being in her mouth yet again, was then happy put straw back in glass, stirred and then served to customer!!!!! Eugggghhhh! wanted second beer, staff don't make eye contact so didn't have. Toilets are grim. All in all not good. Good point, one of the male waiters is very welcoming. Overall experience pretty poor!
"

I have been coming to Café Mode quite regularly for six years and I always really love the experience. The menu is very varied and really has something to suit everyone's tastes. I have tried lots of different dishes on the menu and am always impressed. The meals here are delicious. The service is always quick and the welcome from the staff is second to none. The staff give the restaurant a lovely warm atmosphere. I cannot fault any aspect of this restaurant. I have been here with lots of different friends over the last few years and none of them has ever been disappointed. I always look forward to my visits very much and have even been known to have lunch and dinner here on the same day!
"

The service was the let down. The food wasn't bad, nothing amazing but certainly not worth the full paying price on the menu - I am not surprised they have staff walking around covent garden advertising 2 for 1 pizza's. The wine was great, and usual london prices of just under £20. We spent a lot of time desperately trying to call over staff, and listening to the table next to us complain about their luke warm food. You are paying for the location with this restaurant, and not much else. Shame.
"

The customer service was extremely poor, even at a quiet time midweek. And with the high service charge on top it felt like they were taking the piss! Plus the waitress had poor english and so couldn't understand when we asked for a glass of tap water.
"

I booked a table for 3 for dinner on a Saturday evening and for the first time I was really disappointed with a restaurant on the taste card list.

Their special Cafe burger was terrible and rather dry. The must was blaring so we could barely hear ourselves speaking and the waiter was clearly untrained. He ignored us a few times and was very agitated when we asked him to take our drinks order and then come back for our food order (he decided to take them together). He then lazily came to the table chewing food and seemed to be rather put out that we were asking him for our bill.

Tastecard can provide great value for money but in the case of Cafe Mode it's not even worth it with 50% off. Menu prices are over inflated, the food is poor and the service is atrocious. Our table was dirty, we had to ask for cutlery with each course and we were there for 2 hours just to eat 2 courses each. The kind of restaurant that gives Tastecard offers a bad reputation.
"

Service was average as was the food. It was busy however and had a good atmosphere plus the host who seated us was very friendly and we got into an otherwise fully booked Top Secret Comedy Club that night.
"

" Me and 7 mates came here for my birthday after work one day we did not book a table and was a lot of us but we got a table right away and had a great service through out the meal then after we when to the comedy club round the corner.
"

" Despite making a reservation in advance, we were placed (at first) right next to the entrance. With the owner constantly rushing in and out, it was quite uncomfortable there, which he must have realized and he then offered us a table in the back of the restaurant. We did not receive drink menues at arrival, so I had to grab one from another table. Service took quite a long time to take notice of us although there were hardly any other guests (Sunday evening). After that, service was quick and friendly. Food was, even for London, overpriced in my opinion. Seafood in the pasta was definitely not fresh and tasted dry. Music was too lound and inappropriate for an Italian restaurant, felt more like in a club.
All in all, a unfortunately rather disappointing evening.
"

Very good meal last night at Cafe Mode, with great service. Our waiter persuaded us to go for a different (and less expensive) bottle of wine because it would go better with our mains, and let us taste test the wines. Good size portions, with flexibility on choice and a great atmosphere. Will definitely return
"

Visited on strength of reviews. Very disappointed. Service was very harsh and matter of fact. Although we got the correct dishes, other tables had issues. Very cramped seating arrangements, we we're put in a very dark busy position and felt in the way. The bill when it arrived was wrong and a very bemused expression from the waiter when I refused to pay the service charge.
"

Ease of use of my taste card,they welcomed it. Lovely atmosphere and friendly service. The food was extremely tasty and good portions. The whole experience was a joy and would definitely recommend this delightful restaurant. Didn't want to leave, but someone has to do the Christmas shopping.
"

We wondered if we were in the same place at times. The wrong wine was brought and then the wrong meals. It wasn't as though it was all that busy when we were there.

The food was distinctly ordinary compared to other places we've enjoyed with tastecard. Perhaps our bar is somewhat higher than other reviewers of this restaurant. We won't be back - there seem to be much better choices to go for within walking distance of Cafe Mode.
"

We visited Cafe Mode pre Theatre as it is only a short distance from the Dominion.

The Cafe is very informal and has a relaxed atmosphere. We opted to sit at a window table but had the option to sit at one of the pavement tables.

The food and wine was reasonably priced and the service was excellent (very friendly). The food was served quickly and each of us enjoyed our meals. My wife ordered Risotto whilst I had a chicken dish. My 12 year old son had a very tasty thin pizza which he loved.

As stated we would recommend and will call again when next in the area, thank you Cafe Mode.
"

" I took the wife out for her birthday, to cafe mode after a work friend had told me about the place, walked in off the street on a Friday night, and staff where very quick to sit us down and get a drink. The food was just as we ordered and a well selection of wine.
"

A friend and myself went there last night and we had a lovely evening. The staff was friendly and attentive. The food was good quality; I had Spaghetti alla Pescatora whist my friend had Penne Spinach & Ricotta, we both finished our meal, feeling very satisfy. We were not rush to leave the place at all, and thoroughly enjoyed catching up over a reasonable Pinot Grigio. The bill did come with the service charge included, but with an extra 3 shots of Amaretto on the house we were more than happy to pay the service charge.
"

" Restaurant decor looks very nice in the photos. This is far from reality. The walls and general feel of the restaurant was shabby and in need of a facelift. I went yesterday with my family and am pretty sure that the prices in the menu are slightly higher than what was showing on the website menu. The spaghetti bolognaise was billed at £14.95 so really 50% off was not that greater deal! The majority of the pizzas were £12 -£14 but at least £2.00 higher than the menu on the website. We had the rocket and palma ham pizza and this was £13.95 not £11.95 as shown on the website. The pesto bread starter was pizza style but served with every other slice missing! - I mean, how much does bread and butter cost! The bolognaise was served already mixed into the spaghetti (strange) with hardly any meat sauce at all. I guess this was the idea so they could get away with serving you less sauce. Overall very poor. They added service to the bill as well! Never going back.
"

Where to start? My wife sent her food back 3 times before it was finally served hot. The only person who apologised was the manager who offered us free drinks (which we could not have cause I was driving later) but he did not take the service off the bill till I told him too despite the rubbish service.

The staff were rude disguised as busy.
The manager did not care since they are clearly able to get another tourist in to fill the place tomorrow.
My wife’s food was cheap pasta (over) cooked and left to get cold with (initially cold) sauce chucked at it. My food was Lasagne made from pasta, packet tomato sauce with cheap mince, I recognised the tomato sauce since it is the same one used in my friends kebab shop.

My wife left hungry and insisted we find something else for her to eat as the final attempt at her food was still appalling, but by that time we both just wanted to leave as soon as we could.

If it had been our first meal out using a tastecard we would have wanted our money back, no discount would have made this meal good value.
"

My boyfriend and I had a pre-theatre bite to eat here on a Friday night. We ordered a bargain bottle of Prosecco which was about £20 (from memory). We shared a tasty brochette and both had pasta dishes for our main course. The service was good and I'd certainly recommend it for a quick bite to eat!
"

Customer service started well but deteriorated when questioned the bill. The quality of food was poor especially given the prices, which are not cheap (thank goodness for tastecard!). Stale burger bun and not fresh parmesan!! Have been here before and enjoyed it, but this visit was a disaster. I will never be going there again.
"

On a visit to the restaurant on a busy Saturday night, it had been easy to book for three people through the website. So far so good.

The food was good for the price range, especially given the Covent Garden location. The service however was slow and unattentive, on more than one occasion the waiter was far more distracted with the group of pretty girls beside us.

As service was so slow, we did not order dessert. When the bill finally arrived we had been charged for two bottles of wine that we evidently did not drink, resulting in a bill more than £40 over what it should have been!

After querying the total, it was amended but I still had to ask for the service charge to be taken off.

Was there for lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon. Was easy to book ahead online, which is better for me than having to call ahead.

Calamari to start, which was nice, but the mains were delicious, a Margherita pizza for me, with added chicken and Parma ham, and mushroom risotto, which both tasted amazing, along with a side of pizza pesto bread.

As we left, we were then offered complimentary drinks, which were gratefully accepted! Good prices, great food and atmosphere. Highly recommended.
"

" A lively atmosphere - busy restaurant, but generally good. Food was very tasty. One of our members was quite late and we waited around for ages but the waiters did not hassle us to hurry. Good food. Would go back.
"

The menu prices have set the expectation of a decent place to dine with a certain standard of service. Overall, our restaurant visit has been a bit of a disappointment - mainly due to service and atmosphere.

First Impression and atmosphere.

We reserved a table for three in advance and when arriving on our restaurant we have been ignored after a short notice that we will be seated. After deliberately standing in the way of the staff we have been seated on a small table which showed no reservation sign but was just left empty by previous guests.

The table was barely suitable for the purpose of fitting a dinner set for three people. It was probably one of the worst locations to sit in the restaurant, directly next to the stairs leading to the toilets and with a cupboard containing cutlery to lay the tables for guests directly behind us. The place was so cramped that it wasn't possible for people to move past without hitting the chair I was sitting on. Of course, things like table cloths or any form of effort to make it a nice place wasn't existent (candles? matching cutlery?), but this is the story of so many restaurants in Central London. To be fair, there wasn't any space for extras on that table.

The atmosphere generally felt a little unorganised. There certainly wasn't a lack of staff but most of them seemed stressed. Ready food kept waiting at the bar for quite a while before staff was able to sort out where to bring the food. After leaving of guests, tables stayed untidy unusually long. "Conversation" between staff dictated the atmosphere. One member of staff apparently required some calming as we was literally downing a whole glass of wine while sorting receipts.

Food.

We have been quickly given some menus. There was a "2 for 1" menu and a standard menu, our tastecard applied on the standard menu. Choice of food was not huge but contained standard dishes as well as creations you don't find everywhere. The appearance of a Burger section surprised me but is obviously a requirement nowadays.

Orders felt a bit rushed, hesitation didn't seem to be welcome, and the pressure was in the atmosphere.

The drinks came quickly - we just had water. The food arrived half an hour later which we found very reasonable - however only on top of the bar. It took at least another five minutes until the four members of staff gathering there could sort out where all the plates would go.

As a result, my Tuna Pizza (no effort was made to name it a Pizza Tonno) arrived lukewarm. The other two of us had salad hence didn't have any issues. The pizza would have been really nice would it have just been warm, however there wasn't a generous amount of tuna on it (about 2 chunky pieces and some scratchings here and there). All in all you'd expect a bit more from a pizza costing £13.50 at that kind of place. The salads were supposedly really nice. Seems like the chef deserved to be at a better place.

Leaving.

We have been in a bit of a rush for leaving. A request for another glass of water (the chicken salad was spicy) has been ignored two times despite our proximity to the tab.

After asking for the bill nothing happened. After eye contact with the waiter he contacted his colleague. Again, nothing happened for five minutes. After another reminder and five minutes of waiting we have eventually been handed the bill which compensated for a bit thanks to the tastecard.

Overall, the staffs are not to blame but the organisation of the place. This looks like it intends to be one of these money making places with no intention to see any of the guests ever again. Even if you look just for a quick grab before the theatre, there are much better places to do so.
"

Simple, picked the phone, booked 10 mins earlier no problem very accommodative staff despite having the place full to the roof. To be honest we did not expect a lot, but to up surprise the food was actually nice, lovely pizza. Prosciutto and rocket was the treat, thin, crispy and light, nice cocktails mix and good music.

We paid less than £100 for 5 of us (in Covent garden ) will go back again and again.
"

"Booking a pre-theatre family meal for 10 on a Friday evening didn't give many discount choices in the area, so Cafe Mode was a real find!
Despite being really busy, all staff very friendly & accommodating and the food was excellent.
Kaye
"

"Amazing service, everyone was so happy to help, which is unusual for
London! They even offered to put our bikes out back so we didn’t have to worry about them! Food was amazing! Hope to make it back here!
Stacey
"

"We went here last night after my sister set me the challenge of finding somewhere in central London who will take 6 people with a tastecard and a dog! I cannot thank the waiter enough for everything he did for us. Not only did he let us in with our dog, but they looked after us all amazingly well! Our dog even had her own complimentary bowl of pasta and place at the table! Their friendly approach gave the restaurant a lovely buzzy feel, and the food was very good too! Will definitely be returning here and would like to highly recommend to anyone looking for a friendly and personal restaurant wanting authentic Italian food.
Verity
"

"This is a great place for lunch. Pasta with salmon was fab and my friend's spicy chicken salad was good too. House red was great. Definitely better than fighting for an overpriced table in Covent Garden - this is just up the road from the Royal Opera House but miles away in ambience.
Carole
"

"Went to Cafe mode on 6th Nov 2010. Very busy but waiting staff very friendly and welcoming. We were a party of 4 with 2 children and a vegetarian!
Waiter very good with the kids, (and vegetarian) menus arrived prompt a reasonable selection for all. Food was excellent, could not fault any of it, even my rare steak was cooked spot on! Using the tastecard made it even tastier!
Owner came over to chat at the end of the meal, once again very friendly, will go back!
Alan
"

"Cafe Mode can be described as a local neighbourhood restaurant and one that offers cosy surroundings with great service. Our waiter 'Bello' was a delight- attentive and cheerful.
tastecard makes the food good value- of note were the calamari fritter and the burgers. I was even given a complimentary bottle of Pinot Grigio to take home! All in all a great night.
Will definitely go back.
Malcolm
"

"I took one of my teams there for our quarterly awards lunch. We are a large team so it was nice that they offer discount for up to 12 people.
The service was outstanding and the young lady looking after us was very attentive and as the person who booked she used my first name throughout which I found a lovely touch. The free still and sparkling water was also nice.
The food was very impressive, we had an Italian lady with us who is very fussy about her pizzas and even she was impressed. The favourites seemed to be the king prawns as a starter and the lamb cutlets for main.
I definitely recommend checking this place out for a nice lunch or a cheap dinner.
Shane
"

"Had a really fantastic night here for a friend's birthday.
The saving we made with 10 of us was substantial.
The service was excellent and nothing was too much trouble. We got given complimentary liquor at the end of the meal and they even gave my friend a free dessert as it was her birthday.
The location is great but as it is not in main Covent Garden it is frequented by locals rather than tourists which makes it a much more relaxing experience.
Highly recommended for good and honest Italian food with excellent service.
Emma
"

"Last night We had our first meal at Cafe Mode. The restaurent is nice as is the food and service.
It is well displayed on the menu that they add a 12.5% service charge which means this is not a bargain, but reasonablepriced.
A meal of 2 main dishes and 1 side salad with 2 cokes came to about £20 after discount.
Matt and Rach
"

"We ate at the restaurant last Friday for a pre theatre supper. Although a large party (13) we had excellent service and all enjoyed the food especially the calamari and goats cheese bruschetta, which arrived very promptly.
It was also great to have a discount of £100 using the taste card.
Well worth a visit for good value tasty food, near to lots of theatres, even though the restaurant is slightly off the main area for dining within Covent Garden.
Julie
"

"The card made this place a great deal. Without it certain the pasta dished may have been a bit overpriced.
Calamari starter was tasty, not greasy and light.
I had 4 seasons pizza - Very nice! Other had burgers and pasta and everyone enjoyed their food. There was a lot of staff on all 3 that dealt with us very friendly.
Will be returning for another cheap pizza!
Gianni
"

"Went there this weekend for a birthday. Whilst the food was ok, the staff were quite abrupt with us, though the owner(?) was extremely happy and welcoming. The menu was very simple and didn't detail a lot about the meals.
It was an ok evening, the food could be slightly better and the staff could do with relaxing.
A-non
"

"A very cosy and warm restaurant. Great for people watching and lazy afternoons. The food was delicious. We had the salmon and steak and both were great. Non pretentious food and friendly staff make this little restaurant an excellent choice.
Eleanor
"

"This place was fantastic. We went as a group of 10, two weeks ago for a birthday meal and they gave us the whole of the downstairs area where we had our own private doo. The waiters were friendly and were always keen to check we were ok.
The food was great, and they were flexible about bringing the courses at different times as some people arrived late. The wine was flowing and we had a really good time. They were very personal and accommodating to our needs and i would definitely recommend this restaurant. With each of us having two courses each and averaging on 10 bottles of wine the bill came to £30 per person. A bargain when we were there from 8 till gone midnight.
Sam de la haye
"

"Visited Sunday 24-01-10. I was a little unsure from the outside view, but had a very enjoyable meal and will return. The Lamb cutlets and the Sirloin steak were cooked perfectly and my wife and i were even offered a free shot or a coffee at the end. Only a small gesture but not seen now days.
Well done Cafe Mode.
TERRY H
"

"
My friend and I ate at Cafe Mode on Friday night (16th Jan).
The restaurant has a good atmosphere and the staff are friendly but the food was just ok - not great by any means.
The taste london card made it quite a cheap night but I'm not sure it was worth much more than what we paid anyway. The goats cheese starter was nice. The rest of our food was ok but unfortunately a little bland.
I've read really good reviews on here so perhaps we just got them on an off night...
E
"

"22.01.10
3 of us visited last night (Saturday) and a had a great couple of hours, the welcome and service were wonderful, there was no questions about our taste card, yes, even on a Saturday night in Covent Garden !!
The food is pretty formulaic, steak, pizza etc, but is was GOOD, and that's what matters, and we got a lovely £36 off our food bill :-)
We will be regulars there I reckon.
Tom Murray
"

"Group of 4 of us visited on Saturday night (7.11.09). Friendly reception, good service, good solid food - generous portions. We had bruschetta/salad type starters, then steaks and lamb for mains. Nicely cooked with good chunky chips. Nice bustly atmosphere. Fair price and a great deal with the card - we paid #77 for 4 of us, with three bottles of wine.
Chris G
"

"Went there on a Friday night. Ordered the steak and chips, it was cooked nicely and the chips were good. My friend had the lamb cutlets and they were also really tasty. Overall a nice atmosphere, polite staff and good food.
Le
"

"Awesome food, big portions, excellent prices, attentive service. We had the lamb and the chicken with bacon. Think really good pub grub, but better. Will be returning for pizzas which looked and smelled amazing!
Daz
"

"A group of 5 of us went here on Friday before going to a show and really enjoyed it. The menu was a bit lacking in description but the food arrived very quickly and was delicious. Prices were very reasonable and considering it was fairly early it was busy and had a good atmosphere. Service was good too, I'd definately go again. I'd recommend requesting a table upstairs as the ones downstairs did look a little dark.
Lindsey
"

"Great place, went there for a birthday and the staff were really helpful and friendly - even gave the birthday boy a free drink as a birthday present! would recommend if you want nice food, good atmosphere and a fun night. The manager/owner really helps make this a truly welcoming place.
Tasha
"

"A truely great little place right in the heart of theatreland, Cafe Mode is perfect, great food, very reasonably priced, brilliant waiters, a family run place, completely happy about the taste card. I took my mum, along with the rest of the family, for mothers day and the bill was about Â£50 for four including a bottle of wine and three courses. I will be going back.
Caitlin.
"

"
Good, simple food at reasonable prices is something you don't cme across often in Covent Garden. Service somehow slow, the waiter seemed to be in a bad mood, he didn't bother to smile at all. A busy place, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so make sure you book in advance.
Maggie Sychta
"

"I used to go to this restaurant quite often before I got the taste card...I will be eating there VERY often now. It is unpretentious, the menu is simple and can please everyone, waiters are friendly and above all the food is always good and cheap!! I will keep on recommending this place to all my friends!Isabelle D
"

"Came here last night with ten friends for a pre-wedding send off (loathe to say 'hen night'!). Food was tasty and plentiful. Service was friendly and fast. We had an EXCELLENT time and the taste offer made it incredible value. Thank you Cafe Mode!Rebecca Knowles
"

"Good simple food, great if you're with a family, perfect location for a night out and even better with the taste London discount. When I worked around here, I was often in for early dinners before going out. Helen Sleight
"

"Went to Cafe Mode with a friend, mainly on the strength of the earlier reviews. Exactly as described. nice cosy, intimate feel, attentive staff and good food - what more could you ask, and with the TL card a great deal too! We will be back Ian
"

Fantastic service and brilliant food.
One of the best pizzas, beautiful dough and cooked to perfection. A wonderfully flavoured pasta and a lovely selection of cheeses for the cheese board.
Truly a hidden gem and will be coming back for the service and the food.
"

Placed near Covent garden but unfortunately in a dirty and awful street, a very bad atmosphere and a poor service. The food was edible but nothing better than a junk food shop as a McDonald's. To sum it up, just once in life.
"

Food was average for price and because we used our taste card we were treated as lower category customers. Served starters with our mains and didn't even asked for drinks, but charged us for table water.
Bit disappointed because I remember to visit this place on my own before and enjoyed both service and food.
"